Two people have been arrested and warrants have been issued for three others – including an alleged gang leader – more than two years after a father and son were killed in a daylight shooting on a suburban street.
Toufik and Salim Hamze were shot early on October 20, 2021, as they sat in a red ute in Guildford, western Sydney, amid a spate of public killings of gang members.
18-year-old Salim, who police said was the target of the blow, died on the way, while his 64-year-old father died later in hospital.
“The callous murder of father and son, Toufik and Salim Hamze, was one of the worst organized crime murders we have seen in Australia, with an innocent man drawn into the violence and depravity,” said State Crime Commander Deputy Commissioner Mick. Fitzgerald said in a statement on Wednesday.
Two men have been arrested and another three are wanted by police after a father and son were murdered execution-style in their driveway in 2020 (pictured, one of the alleged killers)
One of the wanted persons is 30-year-old Rafat Alameddine (photo), the alleged leader of the Alameddine crime gang
A 28-year-old man was arrested during raids on properties in Sydney’s west on Wednesday morning and is expected to be charged with two counts of murder and involvement in a criminal group.
Another man, a 29-year-old who was already in custody at a Goulburn prison, is expected to face the same charges.
Arrest warrants have been issued for a further three men, all of whom are believed to be hiding abroad.
Among those wanted is 30-year-old Rafat Alameddine, the alleged leader of the Alameddine crime gang, along with alleged members John Ray Bayssari, 33, and Zaid Abdelhafez, 24.
Mr Fitzgerald said it was now time for the men to come home.
“As they will undoubtedly know, the arm of the law is far-reaching – and there are no safe havens in which to hide,” he said on Wednesday.
Four other men aged between 18 and 25 have previously been charged for their alleged role in the double murder.
Police said in December they were still searching for a getaway driver and a gunman, who was seen on CCTV slipping before shooting at the ute.
Other alleged members of the crime gang, John Ray Bayssari (left), 33, and Zaid Abdelhafez (right), 24, are also wanted in connection with the brutal daylight attack.